A New Hunt
by Smusher6
Summary: Nadie and Ellis are off to visit Ricardo and Lirio after the events of the final episode. Some new faces and big problems await, but hey, what else is new?
1. Old Friends

**A New Hunt**

**An El Cazador de la Bruja Fanfiction**

Chapter 1: Old Friends

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><p><strong>Author's Notes: Hello everyone, and welcome to my first El Cazador de la Bruja fanfiction. I'm a bit better known on the Lucky Star area of the site, so check me out there if you feel so inclined. Anyways, this story takes place just after the end of the final episode, and is a sort of 'what happened next' story. I hope you all like it.<strong>

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><p>The sun was high in the sky, beating its rays down upon an open road. Looking to either side of this road, one could see for miles off. In fact, some might swear that they could see all the way to the edge of the earth this way. On this road traveled one red convertible whose passengers were not concerned with seeing the edge of existence. One was too focused on the road itself, and the other on the vehicle's driver.<p>

"Ellis?" Nadie asked, looking away from the road for a second and noticing that her friend was staring at her again. "Something on your mind?"

"Nope." Ellis said in her usual simple manner.

"Sure you aren't thinking about something?" Nadie asked. "Maybe something about that Beckman guy?"

"Beckman guy?" Ellis asked, tilting her head slightly.

"You remember?" Nadie asked. "That guy with Blue-Eyes?"

"Oh, you mean Steve?"

"Yeah. Creepy, right?" Nadie said with a chuckle.

"Creepy?"

"Yeah. Don't you think he looked just like Rosenberg?" Nadie asked. "I mean the likeness was uncanny."

"Yeah." Ellis said, her voice lowering a bit. This didn't go unnoticed by Nadie.

"You don't really want to think about that, do you?"

"Not really." Ellis responded.

"I know what you mean. I'm just glad we gave that slime what was coming to him." Nadie said. Several seconds passed in silence before Nadie spoke up again. "Let's talk about something a bit happier."

"Yes sir." Ellis said with a smile as the two continued down the sun-drenched road.

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><p>There was a whoosh of something flying past a window, followed by several oohs and ahs of neighborhood children as they watched the boomerang arc around back towards its point of origin. Some of them covered their eyes, expecting the worst to happen. Lirio however, was at full attention and ready for the catch. Just like she had practiced, Lirio caught the boomerang with both hands without even flinching. The children covering their eyes stopped doing so once they heard the applause coming from the others, and quickly joined in clapping for the display. Lirio smiled widely and bowed for her audience as they cheered happily. As the children left, they each stopped as they passed Lirio's upturned hat on the ground and deposited a few pesos here and there.<p>

"Great catch, Lirio." Ricardo said with a smile as he approached his little friend.

Lirio smiled and made a happy squeaking sound as she held up her hat full of coins to Ricardo.

"Oh, no." Ricardo said, gently pushing the hat back to the little girl. "That's all yours. You've earned it."

Lirio made another happy sound just as a man walking by stopped and tossed an American ten-dollar bill into the hat. "Quite an arm you've got there." The man said as he tipped his hat.

As Ricardo looked the man over, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen him somewhere before. The man was wearing a black boonie hat with a matching coat, boots, and a pair of khakis. He had a thin dusting of hair on his chin, and was chewing a toothpick. His brown eyes betrayed a certain slyness that his smile attempted to hide. "What's the matter? Like what you see?" The man asked as Ricardo put himself between the strange man and Lirio.

"Do I know you?" Ricardo asked, narrowing his eyes.

"You're telling me you don't remember me? Ricardo, I'm hurt." The man groaned as he put his hands in his pockets. "After all, it's only because of you that I'm still here today."

"Beg your pardon?"

"Does the name Juan Miguello ring any bells?" The man asked.

"Yeah." Ricardo said, his hand hovering over his holster. "I remember making some good money on your bounty."

"Hey now, relax." Juan said, raising his hands in defense. "No need to go readying you piece now Ricardo. I just told you that you were the reason I was still kickin'. No need to be so cautious."

"My bounties don't normally drop by to say hello." Ricardo said, not moving an inch. "What do you want?"

"Me? I just want to thank you. After all, my wanted poster said dead or alive if you recall." Juan said, relaxing his posture a bit. "I mean, you decided to take me in alive regardless. I've gotta thank you for that."

"You were worth more alive." Ricardo said. "I didn't put up with you back then because I felt sorry for you."

"Fine, I get it." Juan sighed. "Of course, it's the cold aloof bounty hunter routine. Either way, I'm a reformed man. And I have you to thank for it." He said as he pulled a metallic object from his pocket.

Ricardo was faster, and he had his revolver drawn before Juan's hand was at chest level.

"Whoa now!" Juan exclaimed as he dropped his lighter. "I've been told that smoking could kill me, but I never thought this was what they meant!" He said, his hands empty above his head.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Nadie asked as she and Ellis emerged from a nearby alleyway.

"Well hello there, mamacitas." Juan said, turning slowly to face the two girls and tipping his hat. "I was just catching up with my good friend here." He said, taking a step towards them as Ricardo lowered his gun slightly.

"Good friend, huh?" Nadie asked, raising an eyebrow and watching Ricardo holster his gun. "This how you're used to being greeted by friends? Hate to see what your enemies do."

"Well, I suppose he just didn't recognize me is all." Juan said with a shrug. "I'll take my leave now. Till we meet again mis flores del desierto." He said to Nadie and Ellis as he walked between them, down the alley and out of sight.

"Don't like him." Ellis said, looking down the alley where Juan had disappeared.

"Ricardo, who was that just now?" Nadie asked as Lirio ran up to Ellis and hugged her.

"Hey Lirio." Ellis said with a smile as she returned the hug.

"It's a bit of a story." Ricardo said with a sigh.

"We might as well hear it." Nadie said, holding up the cassette tape Ricardo had sent them before. "After all, we came all this way to see you two."

"So you got the tape." Ricardo said with a smirk. "How did you know where to find us?"

"Well, Ellis has always had a great sense of direction." Nadie said, giving Ellis a thumbs-up.

"It was easy." Ellis said, Lirio now sitting on her shoulders.

"I see." Ricardo said, bowing his head slightly. "The guy's name is Juan Miguello. He was an old bounty of mine."

"A bounty huh?" Nadie asked. "And he's still alive?"

"I don't kill every bounty I take." Ricardo said. "Besides, he was worth more alive."

"What was he wanted for?" Nadie asked.

"He ran out on his bride to be. Left her crying at the altar."

"And so she put a price on his head?" Nadie asked.

"It didn't help that he ran away with several priceless family heirlooms and most of the wedding gifts." Ricardo said, causing Nadie to gasp in surprise.

"What a sleaze ball!" Nadie exclaimed.

"It gets better." Ricardo said. "When I found him, he was trying to pawn off one of the stolen jewelry pieces at some shady looking shop."

_Flashback_

Ricardo walked into a shadowy pawnshop in an alleyway. As he walked in, he spied his target trying to sell something. Juan was wearing a plain brown vest over a blank white t-shirt with blue jeans. His shoes were battered and had holes in a couple of spots.

"So do we have a deal or what?" Juan said, leaning over the counter as a bald shopkeeper looked over a large diamond studded brooch.

"I dunno." The shopkeeper said, stroking his thick moustache. "Yer askin' a mighty high price for this little trinket."

"That's because those are all real diamonds!" Juan exclaimed, pointing to the brooch animatedly. "All things considered, I'm giving you a bargain price here. You could easily sell it for triple what I'm asking. Especially someone as smart and observant as yourself. But, I can understand if you aren't interested in profit." Juan said, taking the brooch back as Ricardo walked closer.

"Wait a minute!" The shopkeeper yelled, extending his hand. "Let me see it again."

"Not unless you're buying it." Juan said. "I know of plenty of other shops that would take this in a heartbeat. I stopped here first as a courtesy to you." He said as Ricardo put his hand on Juan's shoulder. "Hey, you want something buddy?" Juan asked, looking up at Ricardo's scowl. "Whoa, easy there partner." He said, turning quickly and backing off. "I didn't mean anything by it."

"Come here for a minute." Ricardo said, motioning to the door.

"Uh. Okay." Juan nodded. "I'll be with you again in a minute to negotiate my final price sir." He said with a bow to the shopkeeper as he turned and left. "Hey, can you make this quick?" Juan asked Ricardo. "I'm trying to make a sale here."

"That's a pretty thing you're selling." Ricardo said, pointing to the pocket Juan had stowed the brooch in. "Where'd you get it?"

"What? This old thing?" Juan asked, taking the brooch out of his pocket again. "My wife gave it to me. She's long gone now though, so I'm just trying to do what I can to get by."

"Is that so?" Ricardo asked.

"Yeah. What's it to you?" Juan asked just before noticing the bulge in Ricardo's coat where he kept his firearm. "Y- you're kidding me." Juan scowled.

"Why don't you come quietly?" Ricardo said. "I'm sure my client has a few things to say that would be more effective with you still breathing."

"No way." Juan said, his face twitching in anger. "I didn't come this far to get dragged back to that bitch now!" He yelled as he went for his pistol. Ricardo was faster, and has his revolver aimed at Juan's head before Miguello's hand even reached the holster.

"You're worth more alive than dead, so why don't you just come along?" Ricardo said. "If you give me too much trouble, don't think I'll hesitate to kill you though. Even dead you're worth some good money."

"D- damn it all." Juan said as he put his hands behind his head.

"That's more like it." Ricardo said, taking Juan's gun away from him. "Follow me to my car." He said, grabbing Juan roughly by the shoulder and leading him down the alley with his revolver's barrel in the other man's back. "We've got a bit of a drive ahead of us."

_End flashback_

"And the rest is history." Ricardo said, sipping a beer. As he relayed his story to Nadie and Ellis, the group had found it's way to a local bar.

"Wow." Nadie said. "That sounded like it was really easy."

"You might think so." Ricardo said.

"There's more." Ellis said, putting down her glass of water. "Isn't there?"

"I suppose there's more to every story." Ricardo said. "For now though, I've told what there is to tell for today."

"Geez." Nadie said, rolling her eyes. "Cryptic much?"

"Some things are better that way." Ricardo said as he watched Ellis freeze some of her water into a small ice cube. Luckily, the bartender didn't seem to notice. Lirio on the other hand was clapping happily. "Like that, for example." Ricardo said, pointing to Ellis's glass.

"I guess I kind of see your point." Nadie said, watching Lirio show Ellis her boomerang. "By the way, how is she with that thing?" She asked, pointing to Lirio.

"She's gotten pretty good." Ricardo said, patting Lirio on the head. "She can throw and catch it pretty well. She's been practicing a lot."

"Trying to impress her teacher, is she?" Nadie asked with a smile.

"No." Ricardo said, taking another sip of beer.

"No?" Nadie asked.

"She wanted to show off to Ellis." Ricardo said with a smile. "That's why we sent you the tape. I told her you'd come as soon as you got it."

"You what?" Nadie exclaimed.

"He got us." Ellis said. "I wanna hear her sing too."

"I wouldn't count on that." Ricardo said, smiling to himself. "Lirio is pretty shy about her singing."

"Is that true?" Ellis asked.

"Hm." Lirio said, looking down and blushing.

"She had to go into a separate room before agreeing to do as much as there was on the tape." Ricardo said.

"It's okay Lirio." Ellis said, patting Lirio's head. "You don't need to sing if you don't want to. Just make sure to tell me if you change your mind, okay?" To which Lirio responded with a happy nod before finishing her glass of milk and leading Ellis outside.

"Here we go." Ricardo said, following the two girls with Nadie not far behind.

"What's up?" Nadie asked.

"She's going to throw the boomerang for you." Ricardo said, chuckling slightly.

"Oh, cool!" Nadie exclaimed, sprinting ahead to walk with the other girls. "I don't wanna miss this!"

"_Lirio."_ Ricardo thought. _"You've grown so well. I hope your parents would think so too."_ Ricardo thought with a sigh as a strange man began silently tailing the small group.

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><p><strong>Author's Notes: Well, there you have it. Not a whole lot there, but at least it's a start. Go ahead and let me know what you think. I'm always interested in other people's opinions about my work. Also, merry Christmas! ^_^<strong>


	2. The Silver Tongued Sniper

**A New Hunt**

**An El Cazador de la Bruja Fanfiction**

Chapter 2: The Silver Tongued Sniper

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><p><strong>Author's Notes: Here you go whoever is actually reading this one. The Cazador section of the site seems a little barren, and I'm glad to inject a bit of new material into it. Here is chapter 2 for your reading pleasure! ^_^<strong>

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><p>"Mommy, daddy, look!" A little girl with pink hair and green eyes said as she ran up to her parents with a handful of flowers.<p>

"Honey, look." An older woman said. "Aren't they beautiful?" She said, taking the small bouquet and inhaling their sweet scent.

"Why yes." The man standing next to her said. "Thank you very much, Lirio." He said, patting his daughter gently on the head.

Lirio gasped out loud as she quickly opened her eyes. Ellis was still sleeping peacefully next to her, so Lirio carefully got up and went to the bathroom. After getting a drink and turning the bathroom light off, Lirio was about to head back to bed.

"Bad dreams?" Ricardo asked, to which Lirio shook her head no. "Was it a dream about them?" He asked. This time, Lirio nodded the affirmative. "Hang on to those good memories. I know you miss 'em. But I'm sure they'd be proud of you if they saw you now."

"Who are you talking about?" Nadie asked, rubbing her eyes.

"You're awake?" Ricardo asked.

"Yeah, barely." Nadie said through a yawn. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah. Lirio just had a dream about her parents is all."

"Her parents?" Nadie asked. "That's right. I've never heard anything about them."

Lirio just ignored the conversation and slipped back into bed with Ellis, snuggling up close to the older girl.

"You'll have to excuse her." Ricardo said. "The memories are painful for her."

"What happened?"

"Come on, Nadie. Make sure your gun is ready. Let's go for a walk."

"My gun? What for?" Nadie asked.

"Call it a hunch." Ricardo said, leaving the room without another word.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Nadie said, following Ricardo. "Ricardo, what the hell is going on?" Nadie asked as she closed the door to their room behind her.

"The next room down. Listen." He said, drawing his revolver.

When Nadie concentrated, she could faintly hear what sounded like someone trying to pack in a hurry. "What's that?"

"He's been following us for some time now." Ricardo said. "He knows I'm onto him, so it sounds like he's trying to clean up shop."

"Dammit!" They heard a man yell from the other side of the door.

"Now." Ricardo said as he forced the door open, his gun at the ready.

Inside the room, there was a man with his dark brown hair tied in a ponytail ending at the middle of his back. He was dressed in a green and yellow set of pajamas and was sitting on the room's bed with a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth, holding his foot as if he was in pain. "Whoa!" The man said, the toothbrush falling to the floor. "Okay, okay! You got me!" He said, quickly raising his hands into the air.

"Who are you?" Ricardo asked, not lowering his weapon in the slightest.

"Ricardo, are you sure about this?" Nadie asked. "I think we just held up someone who was getting ready for bed."

"Not likely." Ricardo said. "You made a mistake, booking this room right after we got ours."

"That's the only mistake I made?" The man asked, looking at Ricardo in disbelief. "There had to have been more than that!"

"To be honest, you weren't exactly subtle." Ricardo said, remembering seeing this person following them earlier that day.

"Do you honestly think I was going for subtle wearing what I was?" The man asked, lowering his hands and resting them on his knees.

"Wait a minute, you were following us?" Nadie asked.

"Of course not!" The man exclaimed. "The name is Guy Songer, and I wasn't following your group. Rather, I was following _you_." He said, looking directly at Nadie.

"Me?" She asked. "Mind explaining yourself?"

"At this point, gladly." Guy said. "Mind if I change into something a bit less casual first though?"

"Answer the lady's question." Ricardo said. "I'd like to know what you're up to as well, and you're in no position to argue."

Guy sighed in defeat. "Fine, I guess I owe you an explanation. Okay, here's how it is." He said, clearing his throat. "I saw you first from across the bar. Unfortunately, the most complex thing I can say in Spanish is 'Me gusta el queso', so I figured there was no way I could talk to you."

"You wanted to talk to me?" Nadie asked.

"Who wouldn't?" Guy asked. "Hell, I'm shocked that half the bar wasn't swooning over you. Then again, guns McGee here might have unintentionally kept them at bay." Guy said, pointing to Ricardo. "I heard you two speaking English to each other, so I figured maybe there was a chance. I was only following you to find out if you were available was all."

"What?" Nadie asked, unsure of what else to say.

"Yeah." Guy said. "I didn't know if he was your boyfriend or husband or not, and I certainly wasn't about to risk a fight by walking up and asking. Hell, with that little girl with you, I thought it was just me being too hopeful. I figured maybe she was yours."

"Really?" Ricardo asked, relaxing his grip on his gun a little bit.

"Yeah. Admittedly I might have gone a little far in booking this room, but since you two didn't seem to be particularly intimate I figured I'd stay a night to be sure and maybe ask you out for a coffee in the morning." Guy said, looking at Nadie.

Nadie was about to respond, but something in the bag Guy was packing previously caught her eye. She saw a glint of metal in the moonlight under the clothes. "What's that in the bag?" She asked.

"No way I'm reaching for that." Guy said, glancing at the bag. "If you wanna see it, you're gonna have to get it yourself. I don't need a bullet in me just because you wanted to see my gun." He said, looking nervously at Ricardo's revolver.

Ricardo, still holding the gun to Guy, stepped forward and grabbed the bag. Without turning around, he tossed it at Nadie's feet.

"There, now you have the only weapon of mine within reach." Guy said. "Mind lowering your gun, sir?"

"Hey." Nadie said, looking closely at the bag. "This has a United States Armed Forces logo on it."

"Sergeant Guy Songer, US Marine Scout Sniper, at your service ma'am." Guy said, giving a small bow.

Reaching into the bag, Nadie pulled out the metallic object she had seen. It was a chrome plated .44 magnum revolver with an ivory handle. "Somehow I doubt this was military issue." She said, examining the weapon closely.

"It's not." Guy said. "It's one of my private treasures. My other one is in the closet there in case you still don't trust me." He said, motioning to a closed closet.

Nadie moved over to the closet and opened it, revealing a long bag with a single carrying strap. "What's this?" Nadie asked, taking the bag from the closet and unzipping it.

"Careful." Guy said. "That's my pride and joy right there."

"Whoa!" Nadie exclaimed, producing a large rifle from within the bag. "Look at the scope on this thing!"

"A sniper rifle?" Ricardo asked.

"I told you I was a scout sniper, didn't I?" Guy said, standing up from the bed. Guy's sudden move made Ricardo tighten his focus. "Hey, come on. I'm letting her play with my toys, and I've been straight with you." Guy said. "Besides, how much trouble are you really expecting from a man whose mouth is still full of minty foam?"

"I've got my eye on you." Ricardo said, lowering his gun and backing away slightly.

"Yeah, yeah. That eye would probably be better off staying in your head." Guy said, walking over to Nadie and extending his hand. "My rifle, if you please?"

"Huh?" Nadie asked, looking at Ricardo.

"Take out the magazine first." He said, causing Nadie to nod the affirmative as she ejected the mag.

"Caution I understand, but your boyfriend there is something else." Guy said with a sigh.

"Boyfriend?" Nadie asked as Guy took the rifle from her. "It's nothing like that." She confirmed.

"For real?" Guy asked, raising an eyebrow. "Are you telling me you don't have a man in your life after all?"

"Well, I-"

"Nadie, is this really the time?" Ricardo asked.

"Right." Nadie said. "So let me get this straight." She said. "You've only been following us to find out if I was single?"

"And it seems I've completed my objective." Guy said, smiling to himself.

"That still leaves another question." Nadie said. "I get the feeling you aren't on vacation here in Mexico. Soldier or not, why are you so heavily armed just walking around here?"

"Well if you really want to know." Guy said, putting his rifle down gently on the bed. "I just stopped at the bar for a bit after turning in a bounty. You see, I'm not in active service right now." He said. "I just wanted to make some money while seeing some new places. Therefore, Mexico seemed like a good place to do it."

"Really?" Nadie asked.

"Oh yeah. Besides, ammo is easy to find if you look hard enough." Guy said with a wink as he popped a previously concealed magazine into his rifle and brought it to bear on Ricardo. "Bang." Guy said as Ricardo recoiled in surprise. "The Dragunov is a nice little rifle, wouldn't you say?" Guy asked, putting the rifle back down on the bed. "A nice sniper with the scope, and still a great rifle without. Relax, Tiny." He said, addressing Ricardo, whose revolver was aimed at Guy again. "None of you have bounties on you, so I'm no threat to you."

Ricardo backed down again, but kept his grip a bit tighter on his weapon this time.

"So now you know I'm single." Nadie said. "What now?"

"Well, usually the next step is something like a coffee. Sound interesting? My treat." Guy said, sitting down on the bed next to his rifle.

"Is this really happening?" Nadie asked.

"What? Don't drink coffee?" Guy asked. "I thought dinner and a show might be going too fast. Plus, I'd like to meet with the other two you were with. I get the feeling that they'll be more friendly than chuckles over there." Guy said, motioning at Ricardo with his head.

"Hm." Ricardo said, holstering his gun and leaving the room. "We'll think about it." He said as he closed the door behind him.

"He's not after you too, is he?" Guy asked.

"I wouldn't count on it." Nadie said. "He's already got a girl in his life that takes up all of his attention."

"The little one, right?"

"Yeah. Lirio." Nadie said. "Oh well. I'm not actually interested in him like that anyways."

"So can I expect to see you and your group tomorrow morning in the café by the lobby?" Guy asked.

"We'll see." Nadie said. "After tonight, I'm not sure if Ricardo will be in the mood." She said with a chuckle.

"Kanpeki." Guy said with a smile.

"What?"

"It's the Japanese word for perfect. A maybe is better than a no, and I like to show off when I can."

"Japanese?"

"Yeah. I've been learning the language a bit in my spare time. I've been making decent progress too."

"So you're in Mexico, but you're learning Japanese?" Nadie asked.

"Stick around. You'll be sure to find stranger things about me." Guy said.

"I hope that wasn't a pick-up line or something."

"I hope so too." Guy said. "I'm not very good at this right now. I'll be better in the morning. You should probably get back to your room before tall, dark and angry comes back to kill me for keeping you too long."

"Right." Nadie said as she turned and left the room. When she did, she was surprised to see Ricardo standing just to the side in the hallway. "Ricardo! What are you-"

"You really thinking about seeing him again tomorrow?" He asked.

"Well, I figure free coffee is free coffee. Where's the harm in that?" She asked, turning her nose up at the question and walking back to the room.

"Great." Ricardo sighed as he followed her inside.

"Well, at least she's thinking about it." Guy said to himself as he put his guns back where they belonged before finally washing the toothpaste out of his mouth.

**The next day.**

"Okay Ellis." Nadie said. "What do you say we get some coffee and head out for a bit?"

"Do we have to get coffee?" Ellis asked. The unexpected question caught Nadie by surprise, but Ricardo looked intrigued by Ellis's reaction.

"Why?" Nadie asked. "I mean we don't have much money, and we're getting it for free."

"Whatever." Ellis said, heading out of the room with Lirio right behind her.

"Ellis, what's up with you?" Nadie asked, moving to go after her before being stopped by Ricardo.

"Nadie, maybe you should skip the coffee." Ricardo said.

"What? Why?" Nadie asked. "I don't see the big deal there."

"Maybe it isn't a big deal to you, but I get the feeling Ellis wasn't asleep last night." Ricardo said.

"Wait, you mean-"

"Guy heard us in our room." Ricardo interrupted as he moved to leave the room. "Not a stretch that she could have heard his from here." He said as he left Nadie alone in the hotel room.

"Hm? What's up, Lirio?" Ellis asked as Lirio tugged gently on her jacket.

"Mm." Lirio said, a sad look on her face as she looked up at Ellis.

Ellis sighed when she saw the look on Lirio's face. "I'm not mad." Ellis said. "I just don't like the sound of the guy she was talking to last night is all."

Lirio tilted her head slightly, obviously not convinced.

"Okay." Ellis said, patting Lirio's head gently and smiling. "I can't say no when it's you."

Lirio's face immediately brightened up as she gave a wide smile and a cute giggle.

"Ricardo, wait!" Nadie exclaimed, jogging down the hall to catch up to Ricardo. Nadie slowed down when she noticed Ellis. "Ellis, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I guess." Ellis said.

"Do you want to talk about something?"

"No. It's okay." Ellis said. "Lets go get some coffee." She said, going ahead of everyone else again.

"Ellis, wait up!" Nadie said, catching up to her friend. "Are you sure everything's alright?" She asked. "You've been acting differently since this morning."

"It's okay. Free coffee is free coffee after all, right?" Ellis asked, looking completely serious.

"Yeah." Nadie said, now somewhat unsure. _"Didn't I say that last night?"_ Nadie wondered as she followed Ellis.

"Hey Nadie." Ricardo said, stopping the group briefly.

"Yeah? What's up?" Nadie asked.

"Lirio and I are going to stay in the room for a while longer. Come on back when you're ready to go."

"Is it about her dream?" Nadie asked.

Lirio simply nodded the affirmative and grabbed onto Ricardo's coat.

"Alright. We'll be back in a bit." Nadie said as she and Ellis proceeded towards the café.

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><p>"Man, I probably shouldn't expect her to show up." Guy sighed as he waited at a table in the hotel café for Nadie and her group. "Stick around. You'll be sure to find stranger things about me." He said to himself in a mocking voice as he stirred his coffee angrily. "I'm such an idiot." He sighed. Just when he was about to get up and leave, he saw Nadie walking toward him.<p>

"Hey you." She said with a wave. "We're ready for that coffee now."

"Wow. Straight for the cookie, huh?" Guy asked as Nadie sat down across from him.

"Well we don't have a lot of money, and Ellis and I would like to get going soon." Nadie explained as Ellis sat down next to her.

"Oh. Where are you girls headed?" Guy asked. "Maybe we're going the same direction."

"Probably not." Ellis said with a smile. However, Guy couldn't help but feel like she was trying to intimidate him.

"I'm sorry. We haven't met." He said, extending his hand to Ellis. "My name is Guy Songer. Happy to meet you Miss…"

"Ellis." Ellis said, not moving her arm.

"Right." Guy said, pulling his hand back when he realized that Ellis had no intention of shaking it. "It's nice to meet you, Ellis." He said, beginning to feel a bit nervous. _"What's up with this girl?"_ He wondered as he raised his coffee to his lips. As Guy took a sip of the drink, he managed to burn his tongue a little bit, making him recoil in pain as he put the cup down quickly. "OW!" He exclaimed as he swallowed the molten java.

"Are you okay?" Nadie asked as she leaned forward a bit.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Guy said, opening a little plastic cuplet of cold half and half and stirring it into his coffee. "Needed a bit more cream." He chuckled. _"That was embarrassing."_ He thought as he meekly took another, much less painful sip.

Ellis laughed just a little bit at the display, and it didn't go unnoticed by Nadie. "Ellis, can I talk to you for a minute?" She asked as she stood up.

"Yes sir." Ellis said as she got up as well and followed Nadie into the women's restroom.

Once Nadie was sure there was nobody else around to hear, she turned to Ellis. "Ellis, is everything okay?" She asked. "Why are you being so rude to him?"

"I don't like him is all." Ellis said. "I feel like he's hiding something from us."

"Hiding something?" Nadie asked. "Like what?"

"Don't know." Ellis said. "I don't trust him."

"Still, you usually aren't like that." Nadie said.

"Like what?" Ellis asked.

"You know, you seemed kind of hostile back there."

"Hostile?" Ellis asked, tilting her head. "Not hostile. He should have been more careful with such a hot drink."

"Wait." Nadie said. "Did you have something to do with that?"

"What do you mean?"

"The coffee." Nadie said simply.

"You think I did that?" Ellis asked, beginning to feel a bit distressed.

"You've been acting weird all morning." Nadie said.

"Nadie, how could you?" Ellis asked, tensing up a little bit. "Fine. Have your coffee." She said as she walked out of the restroom.

"Ellis!" Nadie exclaimed as she gave chase. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going back to the room." Ellis said. "Come back when you're done here." She said as Nadie gave up the chase.

"Ellis…" Nadie said, regretting confronting her like that.

"Everything okay?" Guy asked, walking up behind Nadie.

"I don't know." She sighed. "She's in a bit of a bad mood this morning."

"I noticed." Guy said. "So she's not always so distant?"

"No. Usually she's really friendly." Nadie said. "She always speaks her mind though, and that's what has me worried."

"Well hey." Guy said. "I think maybe you should go and see to her. She looked pretty upset when she came out of there."

"You sure?" Nadie asked.

"What do you mean am I sure?" Guy asked. "Saves me money on coffee. Besides." He said, leaning in closer to Nadie and whispering. "The coffee here kind of sucks anyways. You aren't missing much."

Nadie laughed a little bit at that. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

"Here. At least let me accompany you to your room." Guy said, going back to his seat and picking up the large bag there. Inevitably, it contained his trusty rifle.

"Alright." Nadie said, leading him into the hall and walking back towards the room.

"By the way, where are the big scary guy and his little follower?" Guy asked. As if on cue, Ellis came running down the hall towards the two.

"Ellis?" Nadie asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nadie, come quick!" Ellis exclaimed. "Ricardo is hurt and Lirio is gone!"

"What?" Nadie and Guy both exclaimed as the three ran back down the hall towards the room.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: Oh no! A cliffhanger! Unfortunately, I will be putting this story on hold for a little while. It doesn't exactly get a lot of views, and I'm a bit lacking in motivation for it at the present time. I'd like to focus more on my Lucky Star stories for now, and I've got plans for another one to take the slot in which I would otherwise have been working on this.<strong>

**I am by no means dropping the story, but I will not be working on it for a little while. I'll get back to it whenever the motivation to do so strikes me.**

**Look forward to it!**


	3. A Bounty Hunter a Bounty?

**A New Hunt**

**An El Cazador de la Bruja Fanfiction**

Chapter 3: The Search for Lirio Begins

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><p><strong>Author's Notes: Hello everyone. I know it's been a while since I've updated this story, but consider this chapter as proof that I haven't abandoned it. Please enjoy the chapter!<strong>

* * *

><p>Nadie, Ellis and Guy burst into Ricardo's room to find a disturbing sight. Ricardo was on the floor with his back against the side of the bed. He had two bullet wounds on his shoulder and abdomen and he was nursing them as best as he could. The window was open and Lirio was nowhere to be found.<p>

"Nadie, what is he doing here?" Ricardo asked through gritted teeth when he saw Guy.

"Not now Ricardo." Nadie said. "What happened here?" She asked as Ellis got to work healing Ricardo's wounds.

"I'm not saying a word with him here." Ricardo said, glaring intensely at Guy.

"What the hell is going on?" Guy asked as Ellis's hands started to glow. "Who exactly are you people?"

"Hold on!" Nadie said to Guy. "Ricardo, it's okay. What happened?"

"Two of 'em." Ricardo said. "Two men came in through the window and attacked us." He said with a grunt as his wounds closed up. "Thanks, Ellis."

"No problem." Ellis said, standing up.

"Now…" Ricardo said as he stood up as well. Suddenly, Ricardo lunged forward and grabbed Guy by the throat. "Who are you working for, and where the hell is Lirio?" He said as he pushed Guy against the wall.

"AH! I have no idea what you're talking about!" Guy coughed as Ricardo tightened his grip.

"How can I trust you?" Ricardo asked.

"Because I'm not using my other hand to kill you right now!" Guy wheezed as Ricardo looked down and saw that the hand Guy wasn't using to stop his larynx from being crushed was hovering over his magnum.

"Ricardo, back off!" Nadie exclaimed. "If he is involved, killing him won't help."

After a few more seconds, Ricardo released Guy. Guy fell to his hands and knees coughing. "Jesus, you're strong!" Guy said between coughs.

Ricardo said nothing as he turned around and clubbed Guy across the head with his fist, knocking him unconscious.

"Ricardo, what the hell?" Nadie exclaimed.

"You don't know this man." Ricardo said. "For all we know, he could have been sent to distract us to set up for this ambush."

"Ricardo, this isn't like you." Nadie said as Ricardo stripped guy of his weaponry and tossed him onto the bed. "I understand that you're worried about Lirio. I am too." Nadie said. "But rushing to conclusions isn't going to get us anywhere."

"How about we wait for him to wake up before we proceed. I want to find out what he knows." Ricardo said as he tossed Guy onto the bed. "Until then, let's search the room."

"Found something!" Ellis called as she picked a piece of paper up from the floor. The lettering on the paper had been made out of clippings from different magazines.

"Let me see that." Ricardo said as Ellis handed him the paper. Ricardo began reading the message out loud. 'Ricardo, come to the warehouse district unarmed and alone at midnight or the girl dies.' "Bastards!" Ricardo muttered as he crumpled the paper in his hand.

"Ugh, my head…" Guy murmured as he sat up slowly, holding his head. "Whoa!" He exclaimed, raising his hands as he realized that Ricardo was aiming his own revolver at him. "What the hell?"

"I'll be asking the questions for now." Ricardo said as he pulled back the hammer on the revolver. "Now, who do you work for?"

"I don't work for anyone at the moment!" Guy said. "I told you that none of you have bounties, so I have no reason to be after any of you!"

"Oh really?" Ricardo asked. "Before those goons showed up and attacked me, I made phone call to a more reliable source. Apparently someone put a price on my head just yesterday."

"What?" Nadie and Ellis both exclaimed, turning and looking at Guy.

"Hey, don't look at me like that!" Guy said. "You all want the truth? Fine." He said. "Like I said, I was following your group yesterday to find out if Nadie was available. That much was true." Guy said. "After a while though, I stopped by the bounty office to look for some work. While I was there, I managed to see someone just putting up your bounty. It wasn't a bad price, and it was just my style too so I decided I might check that possibility out as well."

"Bounties that only reward live captures don't seem much like a sniper's style." Ricardo said.

"What can I say?" Guy asked. "I'm not any ordinary sniper."

"So you were waiting for a chance to capture Ricardo?" Nadie asked, beginning to feel stupid for having trusted Guy.

"Not exactly." Guy said. "I'm just going to say right now that I'm a very poor bounty hunter, and that there is a very good reason for it."

"We don't have time for this." Ricardo said. "Who put up the bounty? You said you saw them."

"I didn't have a conversation with the guy." Guy said. "I'd probably recognize him if I saw him, but I didn't get a name or anything."

"What about the two guys that ambushed me just now. Do you know them?" He asked as he tossed the crumpled up paper to Guy.

"Wow. People actually write ransom notes like this?" Guy asked when he saw the lettering. "I thought that was only in the movies."

"Anything useful you can tell us about that note?" Ricardo asked.

"I'm afraid not." Guy said. "I work alone when I'm on a bounty. Those two people who attacked you must have been working on their own."

"There's something I still don't get." Nadie said. "Ricardo was on the floor. Why take Lirio when you were right there?" Nadie asked.

"I suppose the girl would be easier to carry." Guy said. "Beyond that, I can't really think of anything."

"I can." Ricardo said as he lowered the magnum and handed it to Nadie. "There's something personal behind this bounty." He said as he picked up his own weapons and left the room alone.

"Ricardo, wait!" Nadie called as she and Ellis chased after him.

"My gun!" Guy called after her. "Damn." He groaned as he pushed himself off the bed, grabbed his rifle, and gave chase as well.

_Flashback_

In a small town, a brown Acura Legend pulled into a gas station.

"You hungry?" Ricardo asked as he turned to the back seat of his car.

"Piss off." Juan Miguello scoffed as he averted his eyes to the floor.

"Keep up that attitude and I might tie you to the roof for the rest of the trip." Ricardo said. "Fine, but don't say I didn't offer." He said as he stepped out of the car, making sure to lock the doors, as well as the power windows.

"I can stand this any longer!" Juan yelled. "Why don't you just kill me?"

"Like I said, the pay is better with you alive." Ricardo said. "I've gotta pay for the gas before I pump it here. Don't cause any trouble." He said as he closed the driver's side door and entered the gas station.

No sooner was Ricardo inside than Juan began trying to undo his bindings. He started chewing at the ropes around his wrists desperately, looking up every so often to make sure Ricardo wasn't coming back yet. Finally, he managed to loosen the ropes enough to free himself. "Yes!" He cried as he tried unlocking and opening his door. "What the hell?" Juan grunted as he struggled feebly against the childproof lock.

"Thanks partner." Ricardo said, giving the cashier a friendly wave as he walked out of the gas station. "Oh no…" He muttered when he realized that Juan was nowhere to be seen and the front driver's side door was wide open. Ricardo looked in every direction for any sign of his bounty and found nothing. Finally, he sighed and began filling his car with gas.

"_This is great!"_ Juan thought to himself as he crouched in his hiding place behind the gas station. _"This idiot is giving up just like that! If this is the worst that I have to worry about from bounty hunters, that bitch will never see me again!"_ He thought with a smirk as he heard Ricardo's car start back up.

"What a loser!" He said as a heavy hand came down on his shoulder.

"That's odd." Ricardo said as Juan's face turned white. "Usually escapees don't stay so close to their captors."

"How did you-"

"I knew you'd give yourself away once I started the car." Ricardo said. "Now come on, buddy. I'll get you set up with some new ropes.

_End flashback_

"And just what are you doing following us now?" Nadie asked as Guy caught up to the rest of them as they were leaving the bounty office.

"You've still got my pistol." Guy said, catching his breath.

"You think I'll trust you now?" Nadie asked.

"Give it back to him, Nadie." Ricardo said. "He's no threat to us."

"Ricardo?" Nadie protested.

"It's okay. I know his type. Bounty hunters that refuse to kill unless necessary." Ricardo said. "I don't think he would have anything to do with what's going on now."

"But how did-"

"He probably looked up my file while you we're in there." Guy said, motioning to the office.

"Twenty bounties turned in during your career. Only one turned in dead. Most turned in uninjured." Ricardo said.

"You don't think I always load this rifle with regular cartridges, do you?" Guy asked as he tossed Nadie a small plastic box.

Nadie popped open the box and saw that it was filled with tranquilizer rounds. "Darts?" She asked.

"That's right. I peg someone with a couple of these, and they aren't going anywhere." Guy said.

"A magnum seems a bit heavy for a non-lethal hunter though." Nadie said.

"If you'll hand me my magnum, I'll show you what I keep it for." Guy said.

"Go ahead Nadie. Give it to him." Ricardo said.

"Alright." Nadie said as she handed Guy his magnum.

"Thanks." Guy said as he raised the revolver and checked the chambers. "See you on the other side." He said with a smile as he pulled back the hammer and raised it to his own head.

"Guy, no!" Nadie yelled as Ellis gasped in surprise. Ricardo simply watched with a straight face.

"Goodbye." Guy said as he pulled the trigger. There was a loud bang and Guy fell to the ground.

"Guy!" Nadie yelled.

"What?" Guy asked as he stood back up and brushed himself off.

"Huh?" Nadie asked. "But you-"

"Relax, Nadie." Ricardo said. "He loads that thing with blanks."

"I like to scare my marks into coming along peacefully." Guy said as he holstered his magnum. "Plus, this way I don't have to worry as much if I get disarmed."

"But back at the hotel-"

"Back at the hotel the big guy there didn't know they were blanks." Guy said. "That's happened before, and it got me my seventh bounty. He thought he had the advantage and shot me with my own gun. Boy was he surprised when I got back up and knocked him out." Guy laughed.

"I thought you said you were a very poor bounty hunter though." Nadie said.

"Well, I don't usually go after higher priced marks." Guy said. "Usually the valuable ones are also the most reluctant to come along peacefully. Money's no good if I don't live to spend it."

"But you have killed before." Ricardo said.

"Of course. I've killed during my time with the Marine Corps, and I had no choice but to kill one of my marks." Guy said. "But enough about me. Did you find out anything helpful?"

"Why do you care?" Nadie asked.

"I care because I don't want Ricardo's bounty." Guy said. "If I did, I would have just tranquilized you from one of those buildings back there and taken the big guy away while you were all napping. I'm concerned about the little girl too."

"Why are you so concerned about Lirio?" Ricardo asked. "I appreciate your help, but what do you stand to gain from helping us?"

"Why do I need to gain anything?" Guy asked. "You get your girl back, and I do my good deed for the day. Everybody wins, right?"

"I don't trust him." Ellis said, standing behind Nadie.

"Look, I don't know what you have against me." Guy said with a sigh. "Tell you what. I'll stick around for a bit and try to make myself useful. If I cause any problems, I'll gladly leave you all to your own affairs. Sound like a deal?"

"I don't know." Nadie said.

"We have more to gain with him than without him." Ricardo said. "You've got good eyes, right?"

"I've got two of them." Guy said. "So I can tag along?"

"Sure. Why not?" Ricardo said.

"Alright. So where should we start looking?" Guy asked.

"The note said something about the warehouse district." Nadie said. "Maybe we should start there."

"That makes sense." Ricardo said. "But they're probably expecting us there."

"But they don't have much reason to be anywhere else, so we seem to be pretty much stuck." Guy said.

"I guess our decision's been made then." Ricardo said. "Let's go to the warehouse district. Once we're there, we'll split up and take a look around." _"I've already got a good idea of who is behind all of this."_ Ricardo thought.

"It's about noon right now, so according to the note we have about twelve hours to find that girl." Guy said. "Let's hurry. It'll take us at least two hours to get to the warehouse district on foot. This way." He said as he turned and walked away, allowing the rest of the group to follow him.

* * *

><p>"The tracker is working." A tall man with glasses said as he watched a small red dot move across the screen of his laptop.<p>

"Good." Juan Miguello said. "Make sure Ricardo gets here alive. If he brings anyone else, you can do what you want with them."

"I'm sure my brother will be pleased to hear that." The taller man said. "Now, about our money."

"You let me worry about that." Juan said. "Once Ricardo is mine, his bounty is yours." He said as he lit a cigarette. "Until then, make sure you keep that brother of yours on his leash. I don't want any more foul ups. Got it?"

"Of course. Again, we apologize for not taking the girl more discreetly." The tall man said.

"As long as I get Ricardo tonight, I'm not very concerned with the rest." Juan said. "But just in case, you should keep an eye on Ricardo. I don't doubt that he'll come earlier than expected."

"You've got it." The tall man said as he closed his laptop and left the warehouse.

"_Ricardo, if it weren't for you I wouldn't be here today."_ Juan thought. _"Rather, I'd be in the states living the good life right now."_ He thought, looking at the door he had locked Lirio behind. _"Who'd have thought that you'd have a soft spot for children?"_

On the other side of the door, Lirio was calmly looking around for any sign of an escape route. The windows were far too high for her to reach, and all she had with her was a pocketful of change and her boomerang. After a while, she sat still and waited for her knight to come to her rescue.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: Okay. Now that this has gone up, it's time to put up the new chapter of Lucky Temptations, my major Lucky Star fanfic. The chapter is ready and waiting, so I'll get to that now. See you all next time!<strong>


	4. Enter the Bounty Brothers

**A New Hunt**

**An El Cazador de la Bruja Fanfiction**

Chapter 4: Enter The Bounty Brothers

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><p><strong>Author's Notes: Hello everyone! I think this might be my first update in over a month. Sorry for the delay. I've had a lot going on in my life, but I won't get into that right now. For now, just enjoy the story!<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Flashback<em>

"Is all of this really necessary?" Juan Miguello asked from the back seat of Ricardo's brown Acura Legend as he writhed a little bit in his chains.

"The gas station didn't have any rope." Ricardo said. "It was either tow chains, or I break a few limbs. I thought the chains would be a less noisy option." He said with a smirk. "Don't give me a reason to change my mind."

Juan gulped nervously. "Understood." He said meekly.

"Just consider yourself lucky that I decided not to gag you too. After all, putting up with your crap isn't in the bounty description."

"I get it!" Juan groaned.

"Ooh. Struck a nerve, did I?"

"Just shut up and keep your eyes on the road." Juan sighed.

"Yes sir. Anything else?" Ricardo asked. Juan was silent. "You know, we don't have to hate each other."

"Piss off." Juan said just before Ricardo slammed the brakes, sending Juan face first into the back of the front seat. "AIE! (Spanish for 'dirty bitch')"

"We're here." Ricardo said as he turned the engine off and got out of the vehicle. He opened Juan's door and pulled him out into the dirt. "Stand up." Ricardo said as he pulled Juan to his feet, spitting sand out of his mouth.

"You aren't seriously leaving me here, are you?" Juan asked, already knowing the answer.

"You aren't seriously asking me that, are you?" Ricardo asked as he started pushing Juan in front of him.

"Well, well, well. Look who it is." An angry looking blonde woman said with her hands on her hips when she saw Juan Miguello.

"Hola, Maria." Juan said, averting his eyes in the process.

"So tell me." She said, grabbing Juan's chin and forcing him to look her in the eyes. "How much money did you make off of your pilfered gifts?"

Juan responded by spitting in her face, causing her to recoil. Ricardo quickly kicked out one of Juan's knees and forced him into the dirt. "Don't disrespect a lady." Ricardo said as he rested his boot on the side of Juan's face.

"Learn your place, puta!" Maria growled as she kicked Juan once in the ribs.

"I'm sorry to be so forward, but when can I expect my payment?" Ricardo asked.

"You brought him here alive, so I suppose that means you had to put up with his mouth the whole way." Maria said. "I appreciate that."

"It wasn't so bad." Ricardo shrugged. "But I do look forward to washing my hands of him. I've delivered him, so he's your problem now."

"Oh, trust me. He's been my problem for a long time now." Maria said. "I'll send your payment to the bounty office along with a little bonus for any inconveniences I'm sure he caused you."

"Thank you kindly." Ricardo said as he removed his foot from Juan's cheek, tipped his hat, and walked back to his car.

_End flashback_

"And you think that he's the one behind this?" Nadie asked.

"I wouldn't doubt it." Ricardo said. "Juan seemed the type to hold a grudge."

"Wasn't he the guy from yesterday?" Nadie asked.

"Desert flower man." Ellis said, nodding her head.

"Desert flower man?" Guy asked.

"It's nothing." Nadie said quickly.

"Anyways, whoever it is probably knows we're coming early." Ricardo said.

"What makes you say that?" Nadie asked.

"Because they've been tracking us since the hotel." Ricardo said as he pulled a small metal clip out of the brim of his hat and crushed it between his fingers.

"A tracking device!" Guy exclaimed. "Why didn't you bring this up sooner?"

"Calm down." Ricardo said. "They already know we're here. Now that they can't track us, they might make their move sooner."

"But that gives us less time to prepare for them." Guy said, already looking from warehouse to warehouse for any sign of movement.

"The sooner they show themselves, the sooner I can find Lirio." Ricardo said, walking ahead as if nothing had changed.

"How can he stay so calm about all of this?" Guy asked, turning to Nadie and Ellis.

"He's always been a bit… Difficult to read." Nadie sighed.

"He's cool." Ellis said, looking directly at Guy.

"_That look…"_ Guy thought. _"I get the feeling she's trying to imply something about me."_ He thought as she turned away and shrugged.

"Maybe, maybe not." Ellis said as she walked away with Ricardo and Nadie.

"Huh?" Guy said. _"Did she just read my… No, that's impossible."_ Guy thought as he followed at a slight distance.

* * *

><p>"The tracker isn't giving any more readings." A tall man said as he pulled up a map of the warehouse district on his laptop. "Marco, go out for a walk. Make sure to keep an eye out for our friends and say hello if you see them."<p>

"Sure thing, bro." A somewhat shorter, yet significantly more muscular man said as he hefted a large machine gun and walked out of the warehouse.

"He's such a good boy." The taller man said with a smile. "A bit dim, but a good boy nonetheless." He said as he touched a blinking green icon on his computer screen. "I'd better make sure he at least has a little bit of help out there." He said with a chuckle as a window with a crosshair popped up on the screen.

* * *

><p>"Hey Guy, why are you hanging so far back?" Nadie asked as she turned around to face Guy as she walked.<p>

"Huh? Oh, no reason." Guy said. "I just don't want to get in the way or anything."

"Okay." Ellis said as she continued walking.

"Ellis." Nadie sighed as she stopped and let Guy catch up with her.

"She really doesn't seem to like me." Guy said as he caught up with her.

"I'm not sure what's going on with her lately." Nadie said. "She's usually much cheerier than this." She said, looking visibly saddened.

"Maybe me tagging along wasn't such a good idea." Guy sighed.

"Well, I can't really say I fully trust you myself yet either, but I think you seem like a good person so far." Nadie said.

"For what it's worth, you're really pretty." Guy said.

"What? Y- you think so?" Nadie said with a blush.

"Of course." Guy said. "I've never seen someone quite like you before."

"Um… Thank you." Nadie said, blushing a bit more brightly now.

"What's the matter? Not used to getting compliments?" Guy asked with a smile.

"No. It's just that people usually pass me up in favor of Ellis for some reason." Nadie admitted, scratching her face nervously.

"Well they're missing out." Guy said just before he noticed a glint of metal on a rooftop over Nadie's shoulder. "Enemy sniper! Get down!" Guy yelled as he lunged forward and pulled Nadie behind a stack of crates just as a hailstorm of bullets flew down the alleyway towards them. At the same time, Ricardo picked up Ellis under his arm and dove into adjacent alleyway.

"What's going on?!" Nadie exclaimed.

"Sorry. That isn't a sniper." Guy said as the bullets stopped momentarily, allowing Guy to peek over the cover and try to spot their attacker. "I don't see anybody." Guy said as he got his rifle ready and looked down the scope. After a short search, he spotted what the problem was. Through his rifle's scope, Guy saw what looked like a large gun and a camera mounted on a tripod. "Uh oh." He said as he lowered his rifle and got back behind the crates just in time to avoid getting himself shot. "Damn it! A mounted gun!" Guy yelled. "You two go ahead! I'll see what I can do back here!" He called to Ricardo and Ellis.

Ricardo didn't respond, but he continued down the new alley.

"Nadie!" Ellis yelled as she went to go back for her friend before being stopped by Ricardo.

"Come on, Ellis." Ricardo said. "Nadie's tough. She'll be okay."

"But…" Ellis said, looking toward the torrent of bullets and back to Ricardo again.

"Ellis, go on! I'll be fine! I promise!" Nadie yelled.

After a bit more hesitation, Ellis followed Ricardo as he ran down the alleyway, away from Guy and Nadie.

"So now what?" Guy asked Nadie. "Got any ideas?"

"Yeah. Follow my lead!" Nadie said over the hail of bullets as she got ready to run. As soon as the bullets stopped, she was off like a rocket with Guy stumbling a bit behind her. She ran directly toward the direction the bullets had come from before diving behind another set of crates on the opposite side of the alley. Guy had just ducked in behind her when the sentry started firing again.

"I don't think there's any cover further up." Guy said. "What now?" He asked as he turned and saw that Nadie was gone. "Nadie?" He asked, looking around with concern.

"Up here!" Nadie called from a window as she put her hand down to help Guy up.

"Oh!" Guy exclaimed as he grabbed hold of her hand. "Good thinking." He said as she helped him jump into the warehouse.

"Are you okay?" Nadie asked as both of them sat up against a shelf.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Guy said, catching his breath. "Just been a while since I've been under fire is all."

"Come on. We should keep moving." Nadie said as she stood up and offered a hand to Guy. Guy gratefully accepted the help and got up as well. "We'd better keep an eye out for any more traps."

"Agreed." Guy said with a nod as the two of them began carefully navigating the dark warehouse. "So." Guy said in the darkness. "You don't get many compliments?" He asked.

Nadie sighed. "Not compared to Ellis." She said. "It's kind of frustrating sometimes."

"She really seems to like you a lot." Guy said.

"Yeah. She's almost like a little sister to me." Nadie said.

"Almost?" Guy asked.

"Well, she's important to me like I think a sister would be, but… I don't know." Nadie sighed.

"She's cute, I'll admit." Guy said. "But she just doesn't have the same kind of womanly appeal that you do."

"Thanks." Nadie said. "I appreciate that. But you don't need to try to flatter me."

"Does that mean my masculine charms have gotten through to you?" Guy said with a chuckle.

"Nope." Nadie said simply, causing Guy to almost fall flat on his face.

"Well that was blunt." He said.

"It isn't you, really." Nadie said. "I just… I just feel like it wouldn't be fair to Ellis, you know?"

"Fair to Ellis?" Guy asked. "What does that mean?"

"I… I don't really know." Nadie said. "I just don't think I can consider myself available anymore. Not after everything we've been through."

"So wait… Are you and her-"

"I don't know." Nadie said. "Maybe. It's kind of hard to tell sometimes."

"Huh." Guy said.

"What is it?" Nadie asked.

"And here I thought the big guy was my competition for you." Guy chuckled. "I never even considered the other possibility. I guess I'm out of luck."

"Sorry." Nadie said. "To be honest, I'm not completely sure what I feel about all of this yet." She sighed. "But either way, we have more urgent things to think about right now."

"Right." Guy said as he saw a ladder through the darkness of the warehouse. "I'm gonna go up there and see if I can get to the roof."

"Okay. I'll try to get to the others." Nadie said as Guy started climbing the ladder.

"Be careful, okay?" Guy said. "I may not have a shot with you, but I couldn't live with myself if a pretty lady got hurt on my watch."

"Right." Nadie said. "You watch yourself too. I'm not catching you if you fall off a roof."

"Understood." Guy said as he hoisted himself onto the landing at the top of the ladder and made his way towards a nearby window.

* * *

><p>"<em>Nadie. Please be okay."<em> Ellis thought as Ricardo stopped to check around a corner.

"Come on." He said as he rounded the corner at a brisk pace. Halfway down the alley, a large, imposing man rounded the opposite corner carrying a very large machine gun.

"Good to see ya again, pal!" The man yelled as he opened fire, just barely giving Ricardo enough time to grab Ellis and dive through a nearby window.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: Well, there you go. Hopefully I'll get back into a good updating pace considering how close to the end I am to several of my stories. My next update will be to Lucky Temptations.<strong>

**Look forward to it!**


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